The San Pedro Sun

Joint Press Release from the Governments of Belize and Guatemala1. The Governments of Belize and Guatemala deeply regret the death of Guatemalan national Tomas Desdicho Ramirez, 26 years old, resident of the village of San Marcos, Municipality of Dolores, Department of Peten, Guatemala, in the afternoon of Saturday 29 March 2014, that occurred in the Chiquibul Reserve, Belize, in an incident involving the Belize Defence Force.
2. Both Governments express their condolences to the family of the deceased Guatemalan citizen Tomas Desdicho Ramirez.
3. The Prime Minister of Belize and the President of Guatemala have been in telephone contact on the regrettable incident. The Prime Minister assured the President that his government will investigate the facts relating to the incident, and should it be found that there is culpability by persons involved they will be brought to justice in accordance with the law. The Government of Belize is committed to full transparency in this process and offered to share the reports with the Government of Guatemala.

The Senate debates and approves $1 billion budgetAfter two days of vigorous debate over the General Revenue Appropriation 2014/2015 Bill (The Budget) at the sitting of the House of Representatives, it was sent to the Senate on Thursday March 27th for debate and ratification. First on the agenda was the swearing in of the two newly appointed People’s United Party (PUP) Senators Attorney Anthony Sylvestre and Patrick Andrews. After the short ceremony, the Senate Budget Debate got underway in which members of the lower house of parliament put out contributions that discussed the state of the country. Senator Lizarraga also detailed that the constant borrowing under the Barrow Administration has increased the national debt left by the PUP. “In 2008 Mr. President, we owed externally $1.9 billion. Today, we owe $2.16 billion, added to the $404 million we owe locally…It converts to approximately $7,300 per every man, woman, and child in Belize…calculated differently Mr. President, this trend has led to every registered person that is an employer or employee in Belize today, owing $25,000.”

Belize fails to attend the Twelfth Session of the Rio Hondo Basin CommissionMexican authorities are seeking international assistance to address the run off of dangerous chemicals and pesticide from agricultural farms into the Rio Hondo located along the borderline of Northern Belize and Mexico. This decision was taken after Belize failed to send a delegation to the Twelfth Session of the Basin Commission for the Rio Hondo (Commission de Cuenca del Rio Hondo) and according to the Mexican counterparts, has been absent in several instances.
The consultation, which had members of both the Mexican and Guatemalan Environmentalist Agencies in attendance, addressed the mass of chemicals and pesticides that are being deposited into the river. These chemicals, which are used for farming and agriculture purposes, are altering the pH Balance of the Rio Hondo, resulting in the possible poisoning of river dolphins and manatees. In the past few months three dolphins and two manatees have been found dead on the shores of Chetumal Bay in the state of, Quintana Roo. According to news repots from Mexico, the death of these creatures is being attributed to chemical poisoning.

Ambergris Today

Possible Relocation of the New San Pedro CemeteryIt was opened in late 2013 as the new location of the San Pedro Cemetery due to congestion at the old cemetery located in the heart of downtown San Pedro, but now that new cemetery might just be moved to a new site. The little bit of uneasiness from the community is that there are already six bodies that would have to be exhumed and relocated to the new cemetery, if this happens.
According to San Pedro Town Mayor Daniel Guerrero the Government acquired land for the cemetery has not been paid for and in the meantime the owners of the land, Holiday Lands, do not want the cemetery there anymore because of a big development project to spring up in that area. Therefore, Holiday Lands has offered a free piece of land in exchange for the present new site in which the six bodies have already been put to rest. News of this second new cemetery leaked out when a caller to the Reef TV Morning Show posed the question to Mayor Danny, who was caught by surprise. Mayor Guerrero explained that indeed the offer/proposal has been made and that government, in consultation with The San Pedro Town Council, is considering the exchange because government does not have the money to pay for the acquired land made some years ago. The Mayor’s reasoning for accepting the deal would be that tax dollars will be saved with the acceptance of the exchange deal and that the cemetery would be closer to town.

From Dream to Reality: The Inspiration Center LaunchesYears of planning and hard work became a reality on Thursday, March 27, 2014, as The Inspiration Center was launched at a ceremony on its grounds. Special Envoy for Women and Children and Chairperson of The Inspiration Center Board of Directors, Mrs. Kim Simplis-Barrow, delivered an emotional speech recounting the journey leading up to today’s event and thanking all those who contributed to its success. “I am eternally grateful that there have been so many supporters who recognize the significance of providing optimal health care, recreational outlets and other opportunities for development for this vulnerable population,” said Mrs. Simplis-Barrow.

Caramba Restaurant Keeps Things Fresh and NewEvery year around August, Caramba Restaurant closes for about two weeks during the slow season and takes advantage of the time off. But the time off could hardly be considered “time off” because when the restaurant reopens there is always something new about the place, be it the food, the bar or the dining area; Caramba is always evolving.
That ‘something new’ I am talking about can be as subtle as a new paint color or as big as the addition of a new stylish bar. However, what always remains constant from Caramba is the food. It is fitting that their slogan says, “Where the food always speaks for itself…”. This year the restaurant kicked it up a notch by introducing a new menu filled with amazing new dishes and revamped old favorites.
The menu has been simplified a bit, but it is still heavy on the seafood options that are a big draw for the restaurant. New options like Crab Stuffed Jalapeños, Crab Cakes, Stuffed Flank Steak, Fish or Shrimp Tacos, Savory Soups (Sopa de Lima), Hearty Subs like the Pibil (Pulled Pork) Sub and Sandwiches have been mixed in with the old favorites like the classic Fried Chicken, Fish Fingers, Quesadillas, Fajitas and Burgers.

Flashbacks:
Discovering the Village of San Pedro, Ambergris CayeThis is a picture of the beach of San Pedro in the late 1960’s when tourists were beginning to discover the village of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. It was not yet known as Isla Bonita but the very few hotels advertised as “Welcome To Paradise…No Shirt, No Shoes, Problem”. This was the mood set by The Ambergris Lodge of George Stefanco upfront, followed by Lily’s Coral Beach Hotel, Conch Shell Coral Beach Hotel and Paradise Hotel in the background. At this time the cemetery was just on the outskirts of the village just before Paradise Hotel. These were among the first to set the pace for what was to become La Isla Bonita, The Number One Island in the World!

Message for US Citizens on Absentee VotingYour vote counts! Did you know that many recent U.S. elections have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by military and overseas voters? All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the 2014 U.S. elections:
Registering to Vote:
Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
-Even if you have voted by absentee ballot in the past, you must complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to vote in the 2014 elections. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories. It allows you to register to vote and to request absentee ballots for all regular, primary, run-off, and special elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) during the course of the year it is submitted in.

Misc Belizean Sources

FISHING REPORT: Week of March 22-30, 2014The weather brought in big tides and incredible fishing. Like I said, we had a lot of wonderful stories go on this week. Stories and memories that will last lifetimes. Rob asked me, “What makes this work? What makes El Pescador work?” There are a lot of things that could be said to answer that question. But the one thing we do know is that witnessing dreams come true is a good thing to be around. We give out pins to honor the angler’s achievements, but this pin represents so much more. It was great to see several of our fishing friends this week. Greg was able to come up from Roatan and fish with Biill. They were chasing tarpon between telling tales with a few Belikins thrown in. Bill you’re family at EP. As I head out to chase fish in cold waters, my job share partner Ed is starting his week with a few tarpon under his belt. Everyone is thrilled to see you back Ed. Have a great six weeks sharing your passion for fly fishing with the staff and guests of El Pescador. And Happy Birthday!!!

Body found at Orange Walk primary schoolClasses were abruptly dismissed today for children attending the Guardian Angel Roman Catholic School in Guinea Grass village, Orange Walk.
That is because the body of a man was found this morning in one of the bathrooms at the school.
The name of the man is being withheld at this time, pending the proper notification of his family.
Reports from the village say that a female teacher went to open the bathroom and that was when the body of the man, a resident of the same village, was found.

Belize and Guatemala issue join statement on Chiquibul incidentThe governments of Belize and Guatemala have issued a joint statement on the death Guatemalan national Tomas Ramirez, 26, inside the Chiquibul Reserve in western Belize.
The incident involved Belize Defence Force soldiers and happened on Saturday afternoon. In the joint statement, the governments of Belize and Guatemala expressed condolences to Ramirez’ family.
Furthermore, the joint statement says that both Prime Minister Dean Barrow and President Otto Fernando Perez Molina “have been in telephone contact on the regrettable incident.”
According to the statement, Prime Minister Barrow “assured the President that his government will investigate the facts relating to the incident, and should it be found that there is culpability by persons involved they will be brought to justice in accordance with the law.”
A commitment was made by Belize to “full transparency in this process and offered to share the reports with the Government of Guatemala.”

Belize’s Culture & Economic Developmentculture (meaning)
1. the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action
2. the total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are transmitted and reinforced by members of the group: the Mayan culture
Below are generalizations of a sub-set of aspects of Belize culture that impact our rate and quality of economic development.
I. LATER
In Belize, most things are left for “later”. If it is not life threatening it can be done later. This attitude is very pervasive, and results in procrastination, latency, last-minute rush, and in creole “hurry-com-up”, which means something that is hastily, and normally incompletely or inadequately done. This manifests itself in many ways in daily life, not in the least of which is frequent late arrival for work, meetings or invitations known popularly as “Belize time”. This laid back attitude has its advantages and disadvantages relative to peaceful co-existence of so many mixed races, but in economic life, this lack of urgency hinders our pace of development in more ways than we care to accept.

Guinea Grass village man found dead in school bathroomThe discovery of the body of a man in the girls’ bathroom at the Guinea Grass Roman Catholic primary school in Orange Walk is not the way that students and teachers intended to start their Monday.
Thirty year old Asael Gomez was found semi-nude just after 8 o’clock this morning by a girl who had gone to use the facility.
Soon a crowd of nearly 200 people, including students, flocked to the area to watch in shock and disbelief. According to the aunt of the deceased, Gomez was last seen on Saturday morning and the family member says he had been drinking since Friday night.

Meeting held to discuss staff issues at St. Ignatius High
A meeting was held today at the St. Ignatius High School in Santa Elena town to try and resolve internal issues. The meeting involved Belize National Teachers Union president Luke Palacio, BNTU advisor George Frazer, Principal of the High School Vanessa Neal, Maria Zabaneh from the Catholic Schools […]

Charges for City man after wild shooting
Friday afternoon in Belize City felt for a bit like the wild, wild west as a group of young men engaged in back and forth shooting in a mile-and-a-half span of the Old Capital. Amazingly, when it was all said and done, only one person had been actually […]

Man accused of rape in Ladyville charged
This morning, Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith remanded 51 year old Eugene Reneau to the Central Prison after police charged him for rape. According to Police around 2:30 in the morning of Friday, March 28, they went to a swampy overgrown area ten feet from the roadside on the […]

UB girls hold off boys in relathon
The women of the University of Belize (UB) denied their male counterparts a win on Sunday in the annual battle of the sexes that takes place on the George Price Highway. The UB Relathon – a portmanteau of relay and marathon – features teams of men and women […]

Keion Robateau wins Junior Cross Country Cycling race
Sunday was a day of sports in the City, beginning with the finish of the 15th annual Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic. 20 young men from several cycling teams kicked off from the San Jose Succotz Ferry and rode for 70 miles to Leslie’s Imports. For the most […]

10th Day of Healing held in Taylor’s Alley
On Saturday the Day of Healing initiative came to Taylor’s Alley, a community whose very name has become a byword for violence. It was conceived around this time last year as a way for communities affected by violence to promote peace among rival gangs. It is one reason for […]

Hector Lyons robbed and killed
Cemetery Road resident Hector Dean Lyons failed to live to see his 57th birthday, today, after he was shot dead on West Canal Sunday night. Police found him seated on the same steps he was sitting on while talking to a friend around 7:25 p.m. A single gunman […]

Fire destroys building and vehicles in Corozal
An early morning fire on Sunday has destroyed a warehouse in Corozal and the estimated damage caused by the blaze has been put at over a million dollars. Around 5 o’clock on Sunday morning, personnel of the Corozal Fire Department responded to a call of a fire at […]

Police investigate murder in Sarteneja; two men are being questioned
Corozal police are looking for one person who they believe can assist them greatly in their investigation of the second murder of the year in the coastal village of Sarteneja. The body of retired American national, 77 year old Dennis Frank Waltz, was found inside of his warehouse […]

PUP seeks judicial review of Chief Elections Officer’s rejection of signatures
March 31, 2014. AARON HUMES Reporting: The People’s United Party (PUP) has gone to the Supreme Court seeking judicial review of the decision of the Chief Elections Officer to reject hundreds of signatures from a petition to recall Elvin Penner. Last year, the Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai rejected 337 signatures from thousands that were […]

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Joint IDS/Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (2014-15)The Shared Scholarship Scheme is a joint initiative between the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (with funding from DFID) and UK universities, to support scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the United Kingdom. Full details of the scheme can be found in the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme 2014 Prospectus.
The University of Sussex is offering one award for candidates from any eligible:
Commonwealth Country with an offer of a place on MSc in Climate Change and Development.
A list of eligible Commonwealth countries can be found on page 28 of the CSSS 2014 Prospectus.

Belmopan Bandits vs Toledo DiplomatsThe Belmopan Bandits traveled to Toledo to play the Diplomats on Saturday. The won 86 to 41. Congratulations, Bandits!
In related news, the Bandits host the Dangriga Warriors this Thursday, April 3rd. The lost against the Western Ballaz last week. More pictures from that match here.

Paint Up a Storm Artist ListThe Cayo Welcome Center will be the place to be this Saturday, as artists excelling in everything from dance to music to writing to performing arts come out for this year's Paint Up a Storm. It'll be fun for the entire family.

US, Belizean workers lay groundwork for New Horizons constructionU.S. and Belizean workers made final preparations at construction sites in Belize March 28-30 in preparation for new facilities at four schools and one medical clinic in the country.
Construction professionals from both countries will work together at each site to build additions to the schools and hospital as part of the New Horizons Belize 2014 exercise. Preparing for this exercise has required extensive coordination from representatives of both countries.
"We've been working on this particular exercise for over a year now," said Master Sgt. Craig Hunter, New Horizons construction superintendent, responsible for coordinating with Belizean construction workers and overseeing U.S. manpower at each of the construction sites. "We've done countless hours of planning back at the unit in order to make sure we have all the materials, the tools and the contracts set up well ahead of time to make sure that once we hit the ground here in Belize we can get started with our construction projects."

Belize, European Union Hold TalksThe government of Belize held talks on Monday with the European Union in Belmopan.
The “European Union Political Dialogue” aimed to “engage in discussions on issues of mutual interest and share information on the actions and initiatives that both Belize and the European Union are undertaking in the economic, social and political areas,” according to a statement from the government of Belize.
It was held under the Cotonou Agreement, which provides the framework for the European Union’s relations with scores of developing countries.
High on the agenda were issues relating to economic and political developments, border issues, unreported and unregulated fishing, visa arrangements, crime and security, human rights, climate change and others, according to Belize’s government.

19-year Air Force IDMT provides care to service members in BelizeA Sulphur, La., native is leading a team of medical technicians as they provide care to U.S. service members deployed to Belize in support of New Horizons 2014.
A 19-year independent duty medical technician and the lead medic in Belize, Master Sgt. Tara Harrison is charged with ensuring U.S. Air Force members receive the best medical care possible as they assist the Belizean government in building schools and hospitals throughout the country.
In addition to providing Air Force members care, Harrison is also working with medics and corpsmen from other U.S. service branches to ensure all medical teams are working cohesively in the joint service environment.
New Horizons is an annual event coordinated amongst U.S. Department of Defense service members, the U.S. Embassy and the host nation government to conduct civil engineer and medical training. The training benefits U.S. forces as they are offered an opportunity to practice deployment and joint training procedures.

Grand Belize Casino Hotel to open Santa Elena, Belize operationThe Grand Belize Entertainment Group said it has been granted a gaming license and secured the location to operate the former Golden Princess Casino in Santa Elena, Belize.
Grand Belize Casino Hotel said it plans to operate approximately 500 slot machines, 20 table games, a brand new 50-room hotel, over 20,000 square feet of events space, and multiple first class food and beverage offerings.
The Casino Hotel will be co-branded with The Grand Belize Interactive division´s Online Casino. Guests will be able to redeem rewards and promotions at Grand Belize Casino Hotel and through Grand Belize´s Online Casino.
The Grand Belize Entertainment Group is known for developing and executing strong, focused branding that differentiates the firm from the competition. For more information visit www.grandbelizeentertainment.com.

Pappy show!By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez
Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory dickory dock
COLA standing up for social justice
So their stance is supposed to be without malice
Let me be candid
COLA's initiative should be commended
But this system is not to be trusted
UDP acted in unity with the PM’s malady
Knowing the mandamus would fail
Ensuring that in the meanwhile they could cover their trail
But it was already known that this would be the strategy
UDP does not want to stain their hands politically
They need to maintain they slim majority
They’ve know full well like Zinaida
They could have fired Penner
However that’s not an option at this juncture
It’s all a pappy show!

Females Win UB RelathonCongratulations to the UB female relathon team! They defeated the male team, and this is the 3rd year in a row.
"Females Win 36th Annual UB Relathon. 6 hours 29 minutes is the cumulative time that it took UB’s speedy females to reach the Engineering Department in Belize City, winning the 36th Annual UB Relathon on Sunday, March 30, 2014. The females started in Belmopan at the Market Square, while the males began in front of the Police Station in San Ignacio but both embarked on their journey at 8:30 a.m. The females ran with a singular goal in mind: 3-peat as champions. Their effort paid off when they crossed the finish line at 2:59 p.m. The males tried their best to win and closed the 20 mile handicap to only 3miles but fell short and finished 18 minutes later. "

Mayflower Bocawina National Park DocumentaryThe Mayflower Bocawina National Park had a documentary made about it. While it seems to jump around between the topics, it's still worth a watch, especially if you want to learn more about the place that holds the longest zipline in Central America.
"Explore the wonders of the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in this documentary film! The Mayflower Bocawina National Park was filmed from May to August 2013 by Duarte Dellarole for his Ecotourism BSc. degree internship. The goal was to promote the most recent National Park in Belize and show how Ecotourism plays a fundamental role in the conservation of protected areas. The film you are about to watch shows the work that Mama Noots Bocawina has been developing in the area, the activities that they offer in the park and information on the wildlife and plants that can be found in this protected area."

Women's Fair PicturesThe Women in Arts Fair was Saturday at the Cayo Welcome Center. Crystal Paradise got some good pictures of the event.
"San Ignacio had a special event over the weekend, it was the “Women’s Fair”. Women from all over the country had the opportunity to share their work and at the same time we had the opportunity to buy some of their unique art pieces. The San Ignacio Welcome Center was a colorful place to be shopping for handmade jewelry, hand died clothes, clay pots, weaved baskets, handmade aromatic soups, and different sized and colors t-shirts. The event was organized by the San Ignacio House of Culture."

Voice of the West Elocution CompetitionThe Rotary Club of San Ignacio has been busy lately. Not only did they bring the flash mobs to Cayo, but they are having their annual Voice of the West Elocution Competition at 6:30pm this Thursday at Hode's.
"We are getting ready for the Voice of the West competition for the high school students in Cayo, 42 students to be exact. I found out this event was a staple on Sept 10 back in the day, until the Independence Day celebrations became more about the politicians than the people. Join us at Hode's, 6:30 this Thursday night. Voice of the West rocks!"

UB at La Ruta MayaOne last set of La Ruta Maya pictures, courtesy of the University of Belize. The Black Jaguars and Lady Black Jaguars paddled, and had a great time in the process.

Faces of the friendliest people on earth: BelizeansFrom the moment you arrive in Belize – whether you are an adventure traveler, part of a family trip or in the country for a relaxing beach vacation – Belizean people and culture make you feel as welcome and comfortable, like nowhere you’ve ever visited.
You may or may not know that Belize is referred to as a “Melting Pot.” The definition of the term used in this context relates to the many cultures & people inhabiting the tiny Central American country, with a population of an estimated 351,115 citizens.
With such a diverse population, it is inevitable to meet and greet some very unique faces in this little paradise that was once a British colony.
The major ethnic groups that can be found in Belize are Maya, Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, East Indian, Chinese, Arab, and Mennonites. We are truly a melting pot of colorful personalities!
There also are a number of expatriates in Belize from Canada, Europe and the United States – and many of them retire here. A blending of cultures has resulted in one of the happiest and most peaceful countries in the region and a widespread reputation as one of the world’s friendliest population.
We are delighted to present you with the beautiful faces of Belize:

Another Pageant win for Belize at the 29th Annual Miss International Pageant at the University of South Florida.Belizean Beauty Ambassador, Jacinta Gomez, has won the coveted title of Miss International 2014 at the University of South Florida (USF). The Miss International Pageant was launched in 1984 by The Caribbean Cultural Exchange at the University of South Florida to promote multicultural diversity.
According to the Annual Miss International Facebook page, "The Pageant provides a superb opportunity for young women to share their unique cultures and educate the members of the USF community about their area of the world. It serves as a forum for the voices of female students to be heard as they address contemporary and important issues which are personally important to them, their communities, and to their countries at large. Through this experience, the goal of promoting multicultural diversity at USF is achieved.

National Assembly Clerk, Eddie Webster Questioned on a Murder for Hire ReportThere has been bad blood among Dangriga UDPs leading up to the convention to select a standard bearer for that constituency and it seems that bad blood has boiled over!
NBZLive has confirmed that Clerk of National Assembly, Eddie Webster was in police custody for questioning regarding a murder for hire report which was lodged sometime on Friday. It is unknown whether Webster was picked up or if he volunteered to go in based upon police request.
No one is talking as the UDP would much prefer that this stayed out of public domain however we’ve been reliably informed that the alleged hit man is Jermaine “Mouse” Miranda.
Miranda who is no stranger to police allegedly reported that he was contacted by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Eddie Webster and offered BZD$5,000.00 to shoot and kill former Mayor of Dangriga and current UDP standard bearer, Frank “Papa” Mena.

Video: DOLPHIN ATTACK!We decided to make a run out to Glovers’s Reef on a friend’s catamaran for a couple of days of SCUBA diving. There wasn’t a lot of planning involved. It was afternoon and the drinks were flowing in anticipation of one of those life-altering sunsets over the water. An idea started a conversation that quickly led to consensus: let’s do it.
Gear was gathered; bathing suits and sunscreen were grabbed; an ice chest was filled; and we were off. Conversation on most dive trips centers on past underwater experiences and undersea adventures to come. We were under sail about an hour east of Royal Belize enjoying the sun and the conversation when this happened…

Video: Mooring in Belize at Hatchet Caye Resort1min time lapse. Mooring in Belize with Hatchet Caye Belize. Our mooring balls and pier for docking make visiting our island a breeze! Come refuel, restock and relax for a few days as you enjoy all our resort amenities.

Channel 7

Bad Card's Street Style ExecutionThere are 3 KILLINGS to report tonight. 2 of them are being treated as murder, and the third is a fatality resulting from an armed encounter between Guatemalan civillians and the Belizean military.
We start first with the murder of Hector "Bad Card" Lyons who was shot to death last night in Belize City. Lyons was just a few hours away from his 57th Birthday, but instead of planning a celebration, his family, is now preparing for his burial.
Daniel Ortiz has been following the story, and here's his report:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
57 year-old, Hector Dean Lyons, better known as "Bad Card", lay dead on the steps of this house at the on West Canal Street, the last place he was seen alive before still unknown man mercilessly gunned him down.
We understand that he was talking with a friend on those steps, usual behavior, since he was known to be very sociable.

Guatemalan Killed Inside Chiquibul: Joint National Press Release IssuedBelize and Guatemala are moving ahead with a second round of confidence building measures, but a major wrench was thrown into the works this weekend when Belizean law enforcement killed a Guatemalan civilian. It happened on Saturday in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, a reported 3.4 kilometers or 2 miles within Belize.
According to police, on Saturday afternoon, the BDF were leading a joint patrol along with Forestry officers and police. They were 4 miles north of Rio Blanco and some 2 miles within Belizean territory when they saw a group of armed Guatemalan civilians. The police ordered them to stop, but they report that the men opened fire at the law enforcement personnel who returned fire, fatally injuring 26 year old Tomas Desdicho Ramirez, a resident of the Guatemalan village of San Marcos, in Peten, Police say the other men ran off and the Belizean lawmen recovered a 12 gauge pump action shotgun from the deceased and 6 ounces of marijuana. They also recovered one live 12 gauge and 5 expended cartridges. Again, based on that physical evidence it would suggest outlaw behaviour and provocation of Belize's armed forces - which is consistent with recent history.

A Plot to Kill UDP's "Pawpa Mena"Our next story is so crazy, that if we hadn't confirmed it, you might think we were joking. But we're not: Dangriga police are investigating a claim that the Clerk of the National Assembly Eddie Webster hired a man to kill UDP standard bearer for Dangriga Pawpa Mena. First off, let us just say that Webster, who is a prominent UDP from Dangriga has flatly denied the story. But he was asked to go into Dangriga police for questioning on Friday which he did.
The claim is made by a man named Jermaine Mouse Miranda - who has a long rap sheet with 6 criminal convictions including harm and aggravated assault. But he told police that on March 5th or 6th, he was walking on Penn Road in Dangriga Town where Webster lives. He claims that Webster called him over to his verandah and made the proposition.
Now, Webster told us that he doesn't even know Miranda and that the charge is completely baseless. Mena told us that it also makes no sense to him and that he doesn't think Webster would do such a thing. Mena says he would rather not make it an issue and has not taken any additional security measures.

Mayor Darrell Bradley Didn't Resubmit His NameFriday was the deadline for UDP mayoral aspirants to put in their names - and the news tonight is that mayor Darrell Bradley has not put in his name - meaning he won't run for mayor, unless, of course, he changes his mind again - which he has been known to do. That happened in February when the mayor told the media at a prime ministerial press conference that he would run - and by the time the press conference was over, he told us he had mis-spoken.
But not meeting the deadline is bigger than mis-speaking at a press conference, and it will be interesting to see if mayor Bradley changes up again. In the meantime we are told three other UDP councilors and past councilors have put in their names: Deputy Mayor BQ Pitts, Former Deputy Dion Leslie, and former Councilor Leila Peyrefitte.

American Expat Killed In SartenejaCorozal continue to investigate the murder of American Retiree 77 year-old Dennis Frank Waltz, who was found dead inside his warehouse in Sarteneja Village.
At around 5 p.m. on last week Friday, his body was discovered by residents, who realized that he was missing for at least a day and a half. They found his motorcycle on the outskirts of the village, and when he didn't show up at his house, the villagers started to worry about him.
They visited his warehouse, and they picked up on a foul smell ,which gave them the suspicion that someone was dead inside. They called police, when they responded, the warehouse entrance was pried open, Waltz's body was found on the ground. He had suffered gunshots to the chest, the mouth, and the top of his head.

Man Found Dead In Guinea GrassThis morning at around 8, Orange Walk Police had to retrieve a body from the latrine of the Guinea Grass RC School in the Orange Walk District. Because of the discovery, classes had to be cancelled so that Police could take over the compound to preserve their crime scene.
The body was later identified as 30 year-old Orange Walk resident Asael Gomez, and the last time he was seen alive wason Saturday morning, where his relatives saw him drinking. Inside the bathroom, investigators found his knapsack, a cellular phone, and a machete. Seen in the footage here, the commotion of the discovery, drew a huge gathering of residents wanting to know what had happened.
Police are having a bit of difficulty at this stage because there were no apparent signs of violence on the body, except for a gash on his head. At this time, the authorities suspect that Gomez was intoxicated, and wanting to use the bathroom, he somehow found his way onto the school's compound. That's where he may have tripped, hit his head, and died as a consequence. At this time, police are treating it as a sudden death, until the results of the post mortem are in.

Inside the Fort Street Tourism VillageOver the years, we've aired dozens of stories about the area outside the Fort Street Tourism Village. A good 90% of them have been negative. And how could it be otherwise, with dozens of tourism industry service providers outside the gates jostling for the same crumbs? And the reason they get the crumbs is because that's how it's set up - the Tourism Village is a full service stop that tries earnestly to be all things to its guests. Now, new management is trying to change the character of the village to make it more upscale. We got rare access to the facility last week Wednesday on Cruise Day to see how they manage thousands of guests. Jules Vasquez reports:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
Every time you see ships in the harbor - that means thousands of visitors will have to pass through the tourism village, on a crowded day - like a Wednesday - more than 12 thousand may pass through - most of them, 70% going on pre-booked tours, some just choosing to walk the city or walk around the terminal.

Remanded For Wild Mahogany Street Police ChaseLast week, we told you all about that wild police chase that sent bystanders fleeing for cover on Mahogany Street. Well, tonight, one man, 22 year-old Marquin Drury, is at prison because police say that he was one of the men firing shots.
Joshua Lewis reported to the police that during that chase, he was shot by Drury who pursued him in an Astro van. As we told you, Police pursued the van in a high speed chase on Mahogany Street, but the driver of the van managed to get away from the police mobiles, and he was not caught by police when he reached his home on Santa Barbara street.
Well, police have since charged Drury with grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm. He was arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate, who remanded him to prison until May 29, his next court date.

Police Caught Him Raping A Woman?51 year-old Eugene "Portion" Reneau is at prison tonight after he was taken to court today because he allegedly forced himself on a woman and raped her.
Police say that they caught him in the act on last Friday morning at around 2:30 a.m. They received a tip about an assault happening at mile 10 and a half on the Northern Highway, and when they responded, they saw Reneau in swampy water. When the officers ordered them to get out, the woman reported to them that Reneau placed a knife to her throat and threatened that if she didn't have sex with him, he would kill her. Fearing for her life, she complied, and that when the officers saw them, he was forcing himself on her.
Police arrested and charged Reneau for rape. He was arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, who denied him bail, and remanded him to prison on May 28, his next court date.

PUP Sues E&B For Rejecting Penner's Recall PetitionOn Thursday, we showed you the arraignment of UDP Cayo Northeast Area representative Elvin Penner, who was criminally charged by Geovanni Brackett Nedal McLaren of COLA, who launched a private prosecution.
Well, as we told you, the PUP made a failed attempt to recall Penner in January because they couldn't meet the referendum threshold by getting the required number of signatures belonging to voters of the Cayo Northeast Constituency. Well, that move to unseat Penner has emerged again because the PUP are challenging the decision of the Chief Elections Officer reject over 300 signatures. They filed the application for judicial proceedings today at the Supreme Court, and 7News spoke with them outside.
Lisa Shoman, Attorney
"I am filing the application on behalf of Orlando Habet and 4 other applicants for judicial review of the decision by the chief elections officer to reject 337 signatures and therefore report to the Governor General that there were not enough signatures for the referendum recall to be held. At this stage what we are asking for is application for leave for judicial review, so this is the leave stage. It's the first step towards getting judicial review."

Lime In ShortageOn hot days like we've been having recently, there's nothing more refreshing than a tall, cold glass of lime juice. But, good luck finding that nowadays because limes are scarce, and the ones you can afford are tiny and bitter. Monica Bodden went to the market today to find out why:..
Monica Bodden reporting
The price of lime has climbed to an all-time high - we were told due to the damage of crops.
Maria Cowo - Market Vendor
"Right now because of the rains the lime got scarce, so when it comes in it comes expensive, so we have to sell it at least for 75 cents for one and we buy wholesale $55 per hundred. That why we have to sell it expensive because there is no lime."

Police Officer Charged By FisheriesOn last week Thursday, 7News told you about the bust the Fisheries Department made of the men who were fishing for hicatee turtles. Well, they have charged a police officer for those out-of-season fisheries products.
That officer is 53 year-old Special Constabl Goldburn Seguro, a resident of Freetown Road, was charged with 4 fisheries offences of illegal possession of Hicatee Turtles. He was arraigned today before Magistrate Hettiee Mae Stewart where he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail. He must return to court on May 15, 2014

Those Top Table Tennis PlayersOn Friday's news we told you about the 3rd Annual DUTCH LADY Primary Schools Tournament.
64 students from 7 primary schools participated in 250 matches. At the end of it, Top seed junior player Latrell Solis from St. Joseph made it to the finals by defeating Desire Amagula, Jaylen Nicholson and Luis Bardalez.
Solis won the FINALS by a score of 3-1 over Bardalez..
Amiri Hoare took 3rd place with Jaylen Nicholson taking home the 4th place trophy. All top 4 players are from St. Joseph

Missing Child Came HomeLast week we told you about 15 year old high schooler Noemi Polanco who went missing from home on St. Luke Street, in Belmopan. Well, tonight we're relived to report that the child turned up at home on Friday in good condition.

Channel 5

A Guatemalan is shot and killed in the ChiquibulTonight, there is a significant setback to what has been called a revisiting of confidence-building measures between Belize and Guatemala. News Five has been able to confirm that a high-level [...]

8 year old drowns in the southThe family of a young child in Dangriga Town is tonight mourning his death, following an unfortunate incident over the weekend in which he drowned. Eight year old Adrian Lopez, [...]

P.U.P. revisits recall petition of Elvin PennerFormer U.D.P. Minister of State Elvin Penner was criminally charged in Belmopan Magistrate’s Court last week. Those charges were not brought by government nor by Police, but rather by a [...]

President-Elect of El Salvador visits BelizePresident Elect of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, arrived in the country on Friday and reportedly left on Saturday afternoon after meeting with Salvadorans living in Belize. It wasn’t exactly [...]

The 2014 Junior Cross Country Cycling RaceGood evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Let’s start with the action in the National Elite Basketball League which took a crucial ballgame to the Y Not [...]

CTV3

Business Establishment Goes Up In Flames Close To One Million Dollars Is Recorded In LossesApproximately $1 million worth in assets was burn down to ashes early Sunday morning in Corozal. The Corozal Fire Department responded to the call sometime around 5:00am at Johnny’s Construction located on Mile 85 and half on the Philip Goldson Highway. When they arrived at the scene the building was already consumed by fire. Chief Fire Fighter for the Corozal Fire Department, Carlos Arnold says, they suspect the fire started from the office.
Carlos Arnold – Chief Fire Fighter
“Sunday Morning about five o’clock we receive a call of a warehouse on fire at mile 85.5 at the Phillip Goldson Highway. We responded right after we receive the call and upon arrival at the scene we found the warehouse engulfed with flames and this warehouse of concrete walls and sink roof. Upon our arrival at the scene we found the front door half opened so we never needed to make any force entry and then we start fighting the fire, we don’t know how the door was opened but initial investigations was carried out by the fire department and we found a CPU behind the door and four vehicle batteries were also found.”

Gregorio Papas Garcia Wins PUP Convention In Corozal BayThe People’s United Party machinery is in full swing as they continue to elect standard bearers for constituencies across the nation. Over the weekend, party supporters filed in at Corozal Town for the election of Standard Bearer for Corozal Bay. Here is a look at how the voting came along throughout the day.
Dalila Ical – Reporting
Polls opened at eight in the morning at the Saint Francis Xavier Primary School grounds and PUP supporters began filing in slowly.
It was a race between Gregorio “papas” Garcia and David “dido” Vega for PUP Standard Bearer for Corozal Bay.
Supporters in both camps rallied hard behind their candidate and the day was extremely busy for carriers and campaigners.
As people kept filing in, both camps remained positive about the results.

Corozal Police Recover Stolen Items And Remove Another Firearm Off The StreetsCorozal police have managed to recover several items that were stolen from the Oasis Water Plant located on 10th Avenue Corozal Town on the 27th of March. Police visited an abandoned unfinished cement house where they found a black plastic bag containing: one black Black Berry cell phone valued at $400.00, one thick gold chain valued at $4,000.00, one gold bracelet valued at $1,500.00 and $1,766.00 cash in different denominations.
All items retrieved where positively identified by Mr. Alvaro Sosa as those that were stolen from him during the robbery. As previously mentioned, on Thursday March 27thl at around 7:20 he and one of his employees were inside the establishment when they were held up at gunpoint by two men. The men demanded money and other valuable items including a cellphone, gold chain, bracelet and over four thousand in cash all to a total value of $11,400. The perpetrators then made good their escape through the main door. While police have detained one of the suspects, he is yet to be charged. Investigations continue.

Quality Poultry Chicken Gives Back To The CommunityMeat is an important part of our diet and it has also become one of the more expensive parts of our diet. But one company is proving competitive prices to its public. Beyond that, on Saturday, Quality Poultry Products of Belize held a special event in which it offered its products at discounted prices and also offered several free gifts to its customers. The event was held at three George Street in Orange Walk town. Andre Salgado, Branch Manager told us more about the initiative.
Andre Salgado – Branch Manager Orange Walk
“We are having discounts on whole chicken and sixty five cents discount on the chicken as well we are giving away free food and free drinks all the daylong as well we have raffle every hour but today is just a day to give back to the community. We are one of the largest poultry supplier in the country, we provide clean, healthy, hormone and preservative free chicken which for those who are a bit health conscious it is a big plus for them because the way we process the chicken and the way the chicken is at the factory it is of top quality as well we do supply turkey and we do have turkey all year around we are one of the only poultry company that has turkey all year around which includes turkey parts and whole turkeys.”

Dead Body Found In Guinea Grass R.C School LatrineThe gruesome discovery of a dead male person inside the female bathroom at the Guinea Grass R.C School created havoc among students this morning. Unfortunately it was one of the students who found the badly decomposed body of 30 year old Asael Gomez, a resident of Guinea Grass Village. When police retrieved Gomez’s body from the latrine, it was found to be nude from the waist down. What led to Gomez’s death is anybody’s guess, but what we can tell you is that the discovery has left students and the entire community of Guinea Grass in shock. Our news team followed the story and filed the following report.
Maria Novelo– Reporting
Classes were disrupted for students enrolled at the Guinea Grass RC School shortly after 8:00 this morning when a female student discovered the motionless body of a male person in the school’s bathroom facility.
Consuelo Eguizabal– School Teacher
“She came over to ask me to go over to the bathroom and then I said yes you can go and then I continued with my lesson and about two minutes later she came back and then she said Miss there is a man in the bathroom and then I asked her is that real and then she said yes there is a man and I can see his foot and he has a shoe on and he is lying on the ground but sometimes children make up stories so I was a little hesitant but there was something on her expression that made me walk out of the classroom and then I saw the vice-principal walking and then I went and I informed him of what the child had informed me and so he said that he was going to go and see and then he was right back.”

Belizean National Living In Chetumal Charged For Drug TraffickingA Belizean national living in Chetumal Quintana Roo has been charged by Corozal Police for drug trafficking. On Thursday March 27th police were on mobile patrol in the Village of Ranchito near the air strip area, when their attention was drawn to a white four door Ford Escort car bearing L/P BC C 47342 stationed in the Tropic Air parking area. In the vehicle at the time was 24 year old Edwin Narciso Maradiaga of 272A Avenida Zaragoza Chetumal Quintana Roo.
A search was conducted on the car which led to the discovery of (3) parcels found under the dash board of the car. All three parcels were opened in the presence of Maradiaga. They contained 800 grams of suspected cannabis. As a result Maradiaga was arrested and charged for drug trafficking.

American Retiree Shot To Death In SartenejaAn American retiree, who resided in the Village of Sarteneja, became another statistic in the police log book of crimes as he was shot to death. On Friday evening the badly decomposed body of 77 year old Dennis Frank Waltz was discovered by villagers inside a warehouse where he spent most of his time. Waltz had been shot several times, three to be exact and tonight, while police have two persons of interest in custody and are seeking another, they are nowhere close to solving Corozal’s second murder case. Today reporter Victor Castillo and video journalist Jesus Melgar traveled further up North to the village of Sarteneja and filed the following.
Screen_Shot_2014-03-31_at_8.06.49_PMVictor Castillo– Reporting
This is the warehouse in which the badly decomposed body of 77 year old American retiree, Dennis Frank Waltz, was discovered by residents of Sarteneja Village in the Corozal District. Today when we visited the scene of the incident we were informed that residents became concerned after noticing Waltz’s absence.

LOVE FM

GSU Invades PIV Bloods TerritoryJust under one hundred rounds of ammunition were uncovered around midday today when the Gang Suppression Unit entered the Peace in the Village area in Belize city …. or PIV as it is widely known. Members of the GSU went on operation on Berries Street in the Lake Independence area where they searched an open lot and came across a yellow plastic container that held eighty nine 9mm GFL Luger brand ammunition, three 45mm Winchester brand ammunition, one .32mm FG Auto brand ammunition and one Sig Sauer brand metal Pistol Magazine. A black plastic bag containing 95 grams of cannabis was also found inside the yellow plastic container. According to the GSU, the items found are believed to be the property of the PIV Bloods Gang.

Basketball Game Leads to Fight and Shotgun BlastTwenty-one year old Gregory Goodfellow, a resident of Ladyville, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm when he appeared today before the chief magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Goodfellow pled not guilty to the charge. He was remanded into custody until May 20. The incident occurred on February 16 at a basketball court in Ladyville. The complainant, 39 year old Alfred Smith, reported to the police that he got into a conflict with Goodfellow over a basketball game and a fight ensued between them. Smith said Goodfellow left and returned with a shotgun and he heard a loud sound as he moved his head.

Jail Time for Pointing Firearm at TeenagerTwenty-four year old Julio Ardon, who allegedly pointed a firearm at a 17 year old boy, was charged with aggravated assault when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Ardon pled not guilty to the charge. He was remanded into custody until May 22. The incident occurred on Friday, March 28. Police reported that Ardon went to the boy’s home in a four door car and upon his arrival he pointed the firearm at the boy and told his mother that it was not her he wanted to shoot, it was her son. The mother, accompanied by her son, went to the police station and reported the incident. The police investigated and charged Ardon.

Police Rescues Woman From Rape in LadyvilleFifty-one year old Eugene Reneau, a.k.a. “Portion’, who allegedly committed a sexual assault on a 26 year old woman, was charged with rape when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. No plea was taken because the offence is indictable. Reneau’s case was adjourned until May 29. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, March 28. The police, acting on information they received, went to an area at mile 10 and a half on Phillip Goldson Highway and saw a man and a woman in a swampy area. The police reported that the man had the woman’s mouth covered with his hand and the woman was struggling in an attempt to escape. The woman told police that the man put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she did not have sex with him. She said she complied with his demand because she feared for her life.

Political Conventions Continue in Northern BelizeThe political conventions continued over the weekend. The People’s United Party held convention for its Corozal Bay division. Gregorio Garcia was victorious over David Vega. Garcia received 964 votes while Vega received 952 votes. There were 23 spoilt ballots. Meanwhile the United Democratic Party held its convention for the Corozal South East. It was a four man race and Evan Cowo was victorious. Cowo received 1,338 votes. Alexander Ortega received 665, Daisy Marroquin received 316 and Alexander Cruz received 119. There were 25 spoilt ballots.

Belize City Man Arraigned Following High Speed Chase with PoliceTwenty-two year old Marquin Drury, a resident of Santa Barbara Street who was involved in a high speed chase with the police last Friday, was charged with grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Drury was remanded into custody until May 29. According to the allegation, Drury shot Joshua Lewis and Lewis’ injury was classified as grievous harm. Apparently, the shooting led to a chase by the police of an Astro van on Mahogany Street. The police fired shots at the van as it sped on Mahogany Street. Reports say three police vehicles were involved in the chase. Despite that the driver of the van managed to elude his pursuers and he was not caught by the police until he reached his home.

Belize and Guatemala Issues Joint Release on Shooting in ChiquibulA 26-year-old, Guatemalan national lost his life on Belizean soil this past Saturday in the area of the Chiquibul Reserve in western Belize. According to a release issued by the Belize Press Office, the resident of San Marcos, Peten, Guatemala, Tomas Desdicho Ramirez was involved in an incident with the Belize Defense Force that led to the fatal shooting. Reports are that on Saturday afternoon, members of the Belize Defense Force as well as a patrol of forestry officers and a team of Belize Police Department were on patrol in an area, seven kilometres north of Rio Blanco and three point four kilometres east of the border line when they came across several armed men. The Belize authorities ordered the men to stop but instead the men opened fire at the patrol team. The Belize patrol unit returned fire and in the process Ramirez was injured. At the scene, investigators recovered a Maverick Mossberg Model 88 twelve gauge pump action shotgun along with a plastic bag containing 171.1 grams of cannabis seeds; one live 12-gauge and (5) 12-gauge expended shells. In response to the incident a release was issued today, stating that both Governments of Belize and Guatemala have expressed their condolences to Ramirez’ family with both agreeing that incidents such as these do not prove conducive to good bilateral relations. The Prime Minister of Belize has committed to ensure a thorough investigation into this incident and has assured the President of Guatemala that should there be any culpability by persons involved that justice will be carried out in accordance with the law. In addition, as a sign of good measure, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has extended an invitation to the Guatemalan authorities to participate in Ramirez’ medical autopsy. Both governments have requested the support of the Organization of the American States to assist in this process.

PlusTV

Why Remain Joyful in God’s Law Permanently?
Our verse for this week is taken from Joshua 1:8 – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make...

Armed Guatemalan in Belizean Territory Shot Dead by BDF
An armed Guatemalan illegally in Belizean territory was shot and killed by Belize Defense Force Patrol in the Chiquibul National Park. It happened on Saturday afternoon when a patrol of Forestry officers, police and Belize Defense Force personnel were some seven kilometers north of Rio Blanco and some three...

Blazing Fire Leaves Family with Nothing and In Desperate Need
A blazing fire in Belmopan, has left a family of 8 persons homeless and in desperate need of assistance. Our reporter Emanuel Pech visited the scene and has the story. A 54 year old single mother of 12 children is today homeless after a raging fire, consumed her house...

Man Assasined During a Drinking Spree in Belize City
A twenty-day respite from murders in Belize City ended violently on Sunday night. Hector Dean Lyons was to turn 57 years old today, and had reportedly struck good fortune, having won a thousand “pieces” of the winning ending number for the Sunday Lottery Draw. But after spending the day...

Dead Body Found in Primary School Toilet
The body of a dead man identified as that of 30 year old Azael Gomez, Belize Construction Worker, of Guinea Grass Village was discovered inside the bathroom of Guinea Grass Primary School. Consuelo Equizabal, a Teacher at Guinea Grass R. C. told Plus News that it was one of...

American National Man Found Shot to Death in Corozal
Another dead body was found, this time it was definitely murder in the Village of Sarteneja in the Corozal District. The body was identified to be that of 77 year old Dennis Frank Waltz, a Retired American and Naturalized Belizean, and he had been shot numerous times. According to...

Eight Year old Boy Drowns in Dangriga
An 8 year old school boy is dead, reportedly from drowning in the North Stann Creek river. Adrian Lopez, a Standard One student at the Sacred Heart Primary School in Dangriga town, went swimming with friends in the river around 3 in the evening of Saturday. Lopez’s friends say...

Special Constable Fights to Keep Police Job
51 year old Santos Rodriguez, also known as Santos Carvajal, is a former BDF soldier and security expert who worked out of the Mesopotamia Police Station from 2009 and has been a licensed chess instructor from sometime before that. Carvajal was charged with the carnal knowledge with a 12...

Mr. Eugene Reneau Charged for Rape
This morning, Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith remanded 51 year old Eugene Reneau to the Central Prison after police charged him for rape. We told you about the incident on Friday when Police, around 2:30 in the morning , went to a swampy overgrown area ten feet from the roadside...

Female Officer Falls Brain Dead; Family in Shock
A woman Police Officer is hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial, reportedly brain dead, after she just suddenly collapsed at a concert on Saturday night. According to reports, Kimara Tucker had gone to the ITVET compound on Freetown road on Saturday night to attend a concert. However, she started...

Cotton Tree Villagers Want to Sue Government of Belize
Some two hundred Cotton Tree villagers gathered for a meeting at their Community Center on Sunday afternoon. The topic of discussion was the land issue that eventually made its way to the foot of the national assembly in the form of a scuffle and quarrel with Minister Anthony Boots...

Another Motorcycle Accident!
Numerous reports on accidents involving motorcycles have been made within recent weeks. There was another such report on Sunday night on the George Price highway. This time it happened in Georgeville village, in the Cayo District, just before 7 p.m. The motorcycle driver, who was headed to San Ignacio,...

10th Day of Healing Held in Taylor’s Alley of Belize City
The Day of Healing initiative was conceived around this time last year as a way for communities affected by violence to promote peace among rival gangs. On Saturday, the Taylor’s Alley community near downtown Belize City, received its long-awaited share of healing. Perry “Sticks” Smith, organizer, reflects on how...

March Out Youth Rally Successful
‘”March Out’ Youth Rally was held this past Saturday at the Welcome Center in San Ignacio Town. The event is described as a positive community event geared specifically toward providing an outlet for local young people and talented Belizean young artists to bless the community through their God-given talents...

Sanctuary Caye: Sanctuary Belize’s Private Island Getaway is SPECTACULAROver the weekend, I visited Sanctuary Belize, the massive development – (I’ll call it the) town planning project just south of Hopkins, Belize and just north of Placencia. 14,000 acres. 1,800+ lots developed and being developed. The planned project is epic (and I don’t like that overused word one bit)…the plans and the possibilities are astounding. The land is amazing. There is so much work going on right now. Just the marina itself? Just try to imagine digging a 200 slip marina out of hard packed clay that will soon be able to harbor 150 ft yachts. Incredible. It’s already filled with water.
We visited the island that Sanctuary owners will own. And it was beyond amazing. As soon as the boat pulled up to this island, my mouth was hanging open. Sanctuary Caye is perfection. I’m not even kidding when I say heaven on earth.

Equestrian Holidays may be Belize’s next big thing!“Our 365 acre eco-resort has proven to be the country’s best breeding ground for some of the most beautiful horses in the country; quarter horses, appaloosas, buckskins, paints and an incredible variety of majestic animals that guests constantly comment on, especially those who know their horses.
“What started as an interest by the owners has now grown into a herd of some 28 magnificent animals, with a state-of-the-art stables for those who take advantage of our horseback riding excursions, which of course are guided,” Mr Young said.
According to “In the saddle.com.” who specialise in horse riding holidays, equestrian holidays are now a major worldwide industry, from in the Rocky Mountain States of the US, to beach and mountain rides in Europe, horseback safaris in Africa and riding expeditions to remote and exotic parts of the world.
Long a staple of tourism in Australia and the United States horseback riding as a specific vacation is relatively new to Belize.

MushlaMushla is a meal for hard times. No need to throw away over riped plantains. With just a few more ingredients, you can have a fantastic dessert that is sure to please.

The Divisive Political Environment: The CharactersMy hiatus is over. For the past few months I decided to take on an observant and forum participatory role to remain engaged and involved. Belize is truly a vibrant and dynamic democracy with some of the most passionate advocates; however there are quite a few passionate advocates who are passionately ignorant and divisive. They inspire or rather rally up their base from a position of fear, discrimination and hatred. They have no intention of engaging the public with thought provoking dialogue and solution based discussions and yet they have attracted the attention of the most credible people…

International Sources

Should America take a page from the Russians and grab Cuba?by Peter Binose. How about if the Americans wring the changes? How about if they take a page from Putins book? Just think about the US naval base. The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also called Gitmo or GTMO by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel stationed there, is located on 45 square miles (120 km2) of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which the United States leased for use as a coaling and naval station in the Cuban American Treaty of 1903. The base is on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the South-Eastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas U.S. Naval Base, and the only U.S. military installation in a country with whom the United States has no diplomatic relations. How about if, like the Russians, the American military simply walked into Cuba, held a referendum and took over the whole country, lock, stock and barrel? There are thousands of English speaking Cuban people who would love to be part of the US, if they were offered the right deal. Should America simply grab Cuba and hold a referendum? Cancel all previous obligations and stretch their borders for the sake of the people of Cuba and then they can move a portion of Miami back to their home country? How perfect. Fishing is good, weather is nice, better stopping off point on the way to fish in Mexico.

Brazilian Women Share Topless Selfies to Combat Sexual ViolenceHot on the heels of an explosive new study revealing 61 percent of Brazilians believe that if dressed provocatively, women deserve to be attacked and raped, Brazilian journalist Nana Queiroz launched a powerful Facebook campaign urging Brasileñas to share topless photos of themselves, accompanied by the hashtag #NãoMereçoSerEstuprada, which translates to #IDon'tDeserveToBeRaped.

Marine biologist killed in crosswalk by suspected drunk driverDEL MAR, Calif. — A 27-year-old woman killed Friday night in a hit-and-run crash was a Ph.D. student in marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Rachel Anne Morrison and a friend were walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Camino Del Mar and Coast Boulevard about 10:15 p.m. Friday when Christopher Stockmeyer, 41, allegedly sped through a stop sign smashed into her, according to sheriff’s officials and the county Medical Examiner’s Office.
Morrison graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in marine science from Boston University and later completed a Master of Science degree, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography website. She was studying coral reef communities in Belize, Brazil, the Galapagos Islands and other tropical areas, according to her biography.
Morrison’s family arrived from Boston Monday morning and visited her memorial on Camino Del Mar.
“I can’t imagine what her family is going through, it’s a tragedy,” said Melanie Havey, a close friend of Morrison’s. ”It’s just devastating that someone’s poor judgment has caused such a huge devastation to so many people.”

“Indiana Jones of Wildlife Ecology” at Skidmore April 2Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, CEO of Panthera, a felid conservation organization, will discuss “Saving the World’s Big Cats for the Future” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall, Skidmore College. The event is part of SkidGenuity, a month-long, campus-wise celebration of creativity, innovation, and achievement.
In this lecture, sponsored by Skidmore’s Biology Department as part of its Senior Capstone series, the Speaker’s Bureau and Animal Alliance, Rabinowitz will discuss his career and explain why it’s essential to preserve wildlife and their habitats.
A profound stutter left Rabinowitz virtually unable to communicate as a child, and to prefer animals to people. Now a conservationist of big cats and CEO of the global wildcat organization Panthera, Rabinowitz has extraordinary insight into both wildlife and the human condition. Dubbed the “Indiana Jones of Wildlife Ecology” by Time magazine, Rabinowitz has dedicated his life to surveying the world’s last wild places with the goal of preserving wild habitats and securing homes for some of the world’s most endangered mammals. His focus on cats is based on conserving top predators, which affect entire ecosystems. By saving cats, the impacts are far reaching and conserve vast landscapes upon which many species depend, including humans.

Annual migrations bring parade of bird-spotting opportunitiesAs refugees from the East Coast, we miss the spring spectacle as dozens of species of warblers and song birds wing their way north to the bug-rich forests of northern New England and Canada. But the West Coast has its own unique charms and wildlife specialties that we envied when we lived on the other coast. During our motor-rambling days we circled the country several times and found that every region has its own special treasures. When East Coast visitors come to Washington, they are awed and thrilled by sights we take for granted. It works both ways, so we feel especially blessed to have lived on both coasts and birded so many special places — from Maine to California, and Belize to the Arctic Circle.